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2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. JOHNOK.

HOBBY HORSE.

(No Model.)

No. 597,702. PatentedJan. 18, 1898.

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lilllllilllllllll IN VE N T08 ilumm WITNESSES Arrow/Em rm: NDFRIS PUERs 00., wlmouma. wnsumcwn. 04 c PATENT JOHN JOIINCK, or ESTHERVILLE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR or TWO-TI-IIRDS To A.

I J. PENN AND J. P. KIRBY, or SAME Prison.

HOBBY-HORSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,702, dated January 18, 1898. Application filed April 21, 1897. Serial N0. 633,08li (N model.)

enable others skilled in theart towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to selfpropelling rockers; and the object is to provide a rocking-chair, hobby-horse, or the like with pivoted pawls which engage the floor and automatically propel the chair or horse forward by the act of rocking or oscillating the same.

To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference-characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hobbyhorse embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the device applied to a rocking-chair. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4: a of Fig. 2.

1 and 2 represent the parallel rockers, and 3 a transverse rod fixed in said rockers. This rod is formed with two journals at 4, arranged between the shoulders 5 5 on the rod and the contiguous sides of the rockers l and 2.

6 6 represent pawls mounted on the journals a 4:, and 7 7 represent spiral springs encompassing said rod 3 and having their inner ends fixed to the rod and their outer ends fixed to said pawls to project them forward and against the fixed cross-brace 8, which acts as a stop to limit the forward movement of said pawls.

9 9 represent integral lugs on said pawls, and they are provided with orifices 1O 10, which receive the lines 12 13, which extend upwardly through the guide-staple 1e and thence through the eyes 15 16 in the bit fixed in the horses mouth, and thence rearwardly after the manner of reins to within easy reach of the rider.

The lower ends of the pawls 6 and 6 normally project beyond the lower edge of the rockers 1 2, and they are each provided with a removable rubber shoe 1? to insure a firm grip on the floor or carpet.

The operation of the device is very simple,

as it will readily be seen that a'rocking or oscillating movement will cause the pawls to engage the floor andpropel the rockers forward as the front ends of the rockers are depressed, and after the pawls have been released from the floor the springs restore them to their normal position against the crossbrace 8. On the return or backward movement of the rockers the pawls again engage the floor and move the runners forward, so that there is a forward movement at each oscillation. By drawing on the right or left hand rein the corresponding pawl is raised out of engagement with the floor, and the 0s cillating movement then steers the rockers to the right or left, as the case may be, and by simultaneously raising both pawls the oscillating movement may be continued indefinitely without changing the location of the horse or chair.

In the case of the chair I employ springclips 18 to grasp the lines and retain the pawls in an elevated position, thus leaving the hands free when the chair is in use as an ordinary rocker.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. A chair or hobby-horse provided with the usual parallel rockers 1 and 2 the rod 3 conn ecting said rockers and provided with theprojecting into the path of said pawls substantially as shown and described. a e i 2. A chair provided with the usual rockers 1 2, and the transverse rod 3 connecting said rockers the pawls 6 pivoted-on said rod, the spiral springs 7 encompassing said rod/and having their inner ends connected to said rod and their outer ends fixed to said pawls,and the cross-brace 8 fixed in said rockers and projecting into thepath of said pawls, in combination with the lines 12 13 connected to said pawls, and the spring-clips 18 adapted to detachably secure said lines to the arms of the chair, substantially as described.

3. A chair or hobby-horse provided with the parallel rockers 1 2, a pawl pivoted on the inner side of each rocker, each pawl having a normally vertical body portion provided at its lower end with a plane inclined bearing-face and at "its upper end with an integral,rearwardly-projectinglug, a stop device in advance of the pawls to'limit their forward 

